Ethen Eldeli

Ethen Eldeli (Caribou Eaters)

Chipewyan is a Cree word describing their pointed hats or clothing. Dene suline and Deneare also used as names referring to Denendeh meaning "Spirit that flows through this land from the Creator". They also refer to themselves as Ethen Eldeli or Cribou Eaters.There are 4500 Denesuline/Chepewyans currently living in five communities located in Northern Saskatchewan (Fond-du-Lac, Black Lake, Hatchet Lake) and in Northern Manitoba (Lac Brochet, Tadoule Lake). The name Ethen Eldeli is because the caribou (Ethen) had an overwhelming importance in the traditional life-style of the Denesuline and is still crucial to the lives of Denesuline as country food

The Snowdrift Ethen Eldeli are originally from Lake Athabasca. Some members of this band moved north to hunt caribou and settled in Snowdrift in 1925. It seems like this is the same people that Helge Ingstad met in the summer of 1928, and followed to their winter - quarter at Nonacho - lake.